Trump Administration Urges Nuclear Startups to Use Plutonium in Reactor Designs

For many years, the United States has faced a substantial plutonium challenge. Roughly 100 tons of this material were generated during the Cold War for the development of powerful atomic bombs. However, as nuclear stockpiles were diminished, the government needed to securely store this radioactive material in high-security facilities.

Currently, it is seeking the help of startups to assist in reducing some of this stockpile.

On Tuesday, the Department of Energy announced it has selected five nuclear startups to enter into discussions with the government about a portion of the plutonium, which could potentially be used to fuel a new generation of nuclear reactors. The Department had previously set aside 34 tons of plutonium for disposal.

The chosen startups are Oklo, Standard Nuclear, Shine Technologies, Flibe Energy, and Exodys Energy.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright was once part of Oklo’s board but stepped down upon joining the administration and asserts that he has divested his shares. Sam Altman held the position of Oklo’s board chair after its merger with his acquisition firm, AltC, but resigned from this position last year.

Although plutonium occurs naturally, it is primarily produced as a by-product when non-fissile uranium is bombarded with neutrons. Once formed, this isotope of plutonium has a half-life of 24,000 years, which means the government cannot simply wait for it to decay.

Oklo is developing a reactor designed to operate on both conventional uranium fuel and plutonium, helping to power its initial reactors. Exodys Energy is also working on a reactor capable of utilizing some plutonium as part of mixed oxide fuel, or MOX, which combines uranium with plutonium. Flibe Energy plans to design a reactor that incorporates plutonium and other by-products from fission reactors.

Currently, MOX is manufactured in France, and although there were plans for production in South Carolina, the project was abandoned during the initial Trump administration due to budget issues and delays. One of Oklo’s partners, the U.K.-based Newcleo, has indicated its intention to set up its own MOX fuel fabrication facility in the vicinity.

Not everyone is in favor of this initiative. Given the plutonium’s origin from nuclear weapons, the associated security risks are significant. “Countries have attempted this before, and they concluded that, no matter how appealing it may be to use that plutonium as fuel, it really poses a liability that we need to dispose of permanently,” remarked Scott Roecker, a vice president with the Nuclear Threat Initiative, in an interview with the New York Times.

For these startups, the next stage involves entering into detailed negotiations with the government regarding the security and transport of the plutonium.